Effie Darlene Barba

Matthew 16: ¹³ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

¹⁴ And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

¹⁵ He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 7: ²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

John 14: ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

It has become a popular idea to say that there are many paths that lead to God.  Many people who do not believe that Christ is the only living Son of God will even comment that they are better Christians than most "Christians"; yet, they do not proclaim the name of Christ as their Savior, nor do they believe that Christ is the only means of having a relationship with the living God.  It is sad; but true that many people who call themselves Christians disgrace the name of God.  A lot of those people are also religious only for what they think they might gain were they to "believe in God; after all, name it-claim it- God is one big Santa Claus" is an idea that has grown rampantly throughout the churches.  Many claim that Christ was a great prophet and teacher.  Many believe that their own "good works" will take them to heaven.  I wish I could say that my own life was a continuous shining example, always saying and doing the right thing; but, alas in the wee hours of the morning as the Word of God cuts through me, dissecting my motives, actions, thoughts, and desires, I realize how unworthy I am of this Grace I have been given.  There before the throne of God I can no longer pridefully compare myself to other people; but as I study the word and see the Majesty, Glory and Righteousness of God displayed I must fall before Him in utter failure.  Yet, there is this rock of truth that I can build my life and my future Upon–that rock is the revelation of the undeniable truth that Christ is the Son of the Living God.  If I really believe that, then I must believe that my only way to find God is through Christ.  To believe anything else would be to deny that He is the Son of the Living God; because His words must every one be true and He declared that He was the only way.  All my best righteousness is worthless compared to the righteousness that would be required to stand in the presence of God; therefore, I need to be clothed in the righteousness that only can be given to me by the very one who left the splendor of heaven to suffer and die on a cross bearing the penalty for all my sins. 

The following prayer by Jesus to His Father was among the last words that the disciples heard before Christ went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He awaited the arrival of those whom He knew would come to arrest Him.  When you can read the entire chapter.  Look at what He asked of the Father to give to all who would believe in Him as their Savior. 

John 17:  ³ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

⁴ I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

⁵ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was….

¹³ And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves….

¹⁷ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth…

¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

¹⁹ And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

²⁰ Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

²⁴ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵ O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

²⁶ And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

So, my final question to you is "Who do You Say Christ is?"

 

Galatians 5:  1. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

² Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

³ For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

^{4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.  5.} For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

⁶ For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

John 21:

¹⁵ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

Have you ever fallen in love?  The use of the term "fall" implies that the process is in some way inevitable, uncontrollable, irreversible, and that it puts the lover in a state of vulnerability.  There is that feeling of renewed energy, hope, and joy.  Trials of life seem to fade into a distance.  Your world becomes consumed with doing things that bring pleasure to the one you love.  Certainly, you never want to cause them sorrow or pain.  You lift them up, you trust them, and you would be willing to die for them. You want to be near them all the time.  You long for them when they are away and your heart leaps with joy when they return or call.  If they have to be farther away you cherish each letter they write and read them over and over.  So, let me ask you this question, "When was the last time that you loved Jesus Christ that way?  Have you ever fallen in love with Him?  Have you ever awoke at 3 am and just wanted to spend some time alone with Him, not asking for anything, just sitting, reading His letters and overwhelmed by His love (consumed by His presence surrounding you)?  He, once and for all fulfilled the law when He died on the cross; therefore, my Christian walk is no longer my struggling to fulfill the law out of fear of chastisement.  My desire to conquer sin is a desire born from faith because I have fallen profoundly, overwhelmingly in Love with my Savior.  This morning devotional is a labor of love; because, I so want you to come to know Him as I do.  I want you to see how truly beautiful He is because I know if I ever show you the true picture of who He is, you would fall in love with Him too.  It would be inevitable, irreversible, and uncontrollable. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuiaoVyKXnM

 

 

 

Psalm 44:

²⁰ If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

²¹ Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

²² Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Romans 8

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He who knows the very darkest secrets of my heart was willing to leave His throne to come to this earth to die on the cross bearing my sins so that I might have eternal fellowship with Him the only source of true Joy because of the overwhelming depth of His love for me.  This is a love that is so great that no matter what trials, tribulations, distresses may come in the New Year, I may rejoice in His Love.  My heart’s desire is to continue to seek Him, follow Him and proclaim His name to a world in need.  For His Glorious Name let me lay down my life, my desires, and my dreams–let me for the sake of Christ, die to self all day long that He might shine brightly through me.  And this I know, there is nothing that can separate me from His Love.   My question to you, Do you have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  I do not mean a head knowledge or a belief that He was some great prophet or good man; but can you remember a moment or time that you saw Him as so Glorious that you knew there was never anything that you could do that would be good enough to make you worthy of being in His presence?  Did you fall before Him at the foot of the Cross and ask Him to come into your heart?  Is He seated on the throne of your heart?  Is seeking after Him your greatest desire, above family, friends, fame, self-comfort, and job? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdvXAR1jwIU

Colossians 1 ⁹ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

¹⁰ That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

¹¹ Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

¹² Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

¹⁵ Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

²² In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

²³ If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

²⁴ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

²⁵ Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

²⁶ Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

²⁸ Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

²⁹ Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

As I close out 2012 to enter into 2013, my question to myself would be the same as Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossia and my prayer for you.  Am I walking worthy of the Lord unto His great pleasure?  Am I growing in my knowledge of Him?  Am I  through the strength of His might and glorious power laboring for Him with all patience and longsuffering with Joyfulness?  Or do I continue to try to carry every burden myself and with heaviness of heart and long face murmur as did the children of Israel in the wilderness?   Do I stand firm upon my faith in His Future Grace and rejoice in whatever suffering may be in my path; knowing that the Creator of the Universe suffered and died for my sins, that I might be delivered from darkness and have the full light of the Gospel shine into my heart with the power to overcome these trivial afflictions that occur on this earth?  Do I begin to comprehend the magnitude of the fact that "¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."  He has omnipotent power over everything and by thus He has omnipotent power over every detail of my life?  Let us all remember this great salvation which He has provided and rest fully upon His Grace for today and for the Future Grace which has promised to all who believe that we will one day be fully transformed into the image of Christ.  Let us continue to seek His strength to labor because of our overwhelming love and devotion for Him.  Look around you, the fields are white with harvest.  Whose eternal destiny might be changed today because they see Christ in you?  Who will be drawn to Christ while they see you filled with the peace and joy of God no matter what your circumstances.  Finally, are we walking worthy of the Lord unto His great pleasure?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q5L0G3-L1w

^{1 Corinthians 6: 9} Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

^{10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.}

^{11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.  12} All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. ¹³ Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

¹⁴ And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

¹⁵ Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

¹⁶ What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

¹⁷ But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

¹⁸ Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

¹⁹ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

My Salvation is based upon Christ’s work at the cross.  Since my justification is based upon His work at the cross, I am no longer under the law; but that does not mean that I continue to live a life filled with sin.  The very price that Christ paid for my redemption compels me to be ever about the task of renouncing sin in my life.  He continues the work of sanctification and transforming me into the image of Christ. My task?  Seek Him with all my heart, Love Him with all of my being, Cherish the time I have talking with Him, Study His word, and repent of every sinful thought the moment that it enters my awareness.  He will give you power over sin’s curse, one sin at a time.  Sin begins with each grain of doubt that becomes seeded within our minds.  If God is someone you cry out to only in moments of distress or trials while the remainder of your life is spent doing your own thing, then my question to you is "Do you know Jesus as your Savior?  Do you have a personal relationship with God? Do you see your life being transformed by that relationship?  Can you say regarding your lifestyle as the Apostle Paul;(Philippians 3; ⁷ But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

⁸ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

⁹ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:…

¹² Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…

¹⁸ (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

¹⁹ Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

²⁰ For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

²¹ Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGNC-ihd4cI